Knitting machine



Jan. 28, 1930.

Patented Jan. 28, 1930 UNITED STATES MAX c. MILLER, 01* CUMBERLAND, RHODE ISLAND KNITTING MACHINE Application filed September 15, 1926. Serial No. 135,570.

The invention relates to knitting machines and more particularly concerns the relationship of the needles with the devices for knocking over the loops and for holding down the 5 fabric as the needles rise.

The object of the invention is to provide a new and improved needle and web holder combination which will be simple in construction and eificient in operation.

A further object of the invention is to associate needles and web holders in a knitting machine in such a manner as to'make possible the more eflicient production of line gage appearing fabric, this effect being secured specifically byv making the sinker wales relatively small as compared to the needle wales.

Another object of the invention is to secure a more rapid relative movement of the Web holder and needle to draw loops previously formed beyond the back line of the needles as the needles are advanced to take new yarn. lVith these objects in View, one feature of the invention consists in the provision of means for introducing a yield into the relative movements of the needles and web holder hooks as these parts are moved relatively to force the previously formed loops beyond the back line of the needles during the advance of the needles to receive new yarn. By thismeans it is made possible to knit with very tender yarns and the delicate adjustments heretofore necessary in the relative movements of the needle and web holder in accordance with the length of loop drawn down by the needle can in large measure be done away with.

More specifically a sideways movement is imparted to the forward portion of the needle shank away from the web holder hookto draw the loop held on the knock-over into the web holder notch so that the loop is held down by the hook and beyond the back line of the needles as the needle advances to take new *arn. hank is. sufficient to allow considerable yield between the needle and web holder hook making unnecessary any very close adjustment in accordance with the length of loop even while knitting with very tender yarns.

50 Furthermore, since the needle is swung or The spring inherent in the needle.

flexed outwardly from a point well down on the shank a very rapid movement of the needle at the knock-over level to draw out the loops may be obtained with the use of a relatively slight angle cam, thus conducing to '5 vmore efiicient and rapid operation while reducing wear and tear on the parts.

Another feature of the invention consists in the provision of a stationary web holder adapted to cooperate with a needle having the mode of operation above described.

The various features of the invention together with the advantages obtained thereby will be readily understood by one skilled in the art from the'following descriptiontaken in connection with the accompanying draws ing which illustrates one embodiment of the invention as applied to a circular latch needle knitting machine. The Fig. l is a sectional view of a portion of a needle cylinder with its cooperating knitting elements, so 7 much only of the machine being illustrated as is necessary to show the connection of the present invention therewith.

The circular knitting machine illustrated in the drawing .-)IDp1lS8S a rotatable needle cylinder and a circular series of latch needles slidably mounted in grooves in the periphery of the cylinder. A series of stationary web holders are provided to cooperate with the so needles, said web holders being fixedly mounted in grooves formed in the top of the needle cylinder. Means are provided for flexing the needles outwardly away from the web holders as the needles rise to take new yarn so that the needle loops are drawn out into the web holder hooks and reformed against the spring pressure of the needle shanks. The web holder hooks are thus made effective to draw out the previously formed 'loops beyond the back line of the needles.

Referring specifically to the drawing, an ordinary type of latch needle is indicated at 1, a series of stationary web holders at 2 and the rotatable needle cylinder on which these elements are carried 1s indicated at 3. The needles are held in their slots in the needle cylinder 3 by means of the usual spring bands 4. A series of pins 5 are slidably mounted in holes in the needle cylinder 3 to make contact .at their outer ends with the shanks of the needles and are adapted to be acted upon at their inner ends to flex the needles outwardly by a cam 6 carried'on a cylinder 7 within the needle. cylinder 3.

The stationary web holders 2-are provided with ordinary knock-over surfaces'S and web holder hooks 9. The books are so constructed and placed as not to interfere with the feeding of the new yarn to the needles which are retracted in the usual manner to knock over the new loops on the web holder nibs.

As each needle is raised again to the clear position preparatory to taking new yarn it is flexed outwardly causing the loop held on the needle to be drawn outwardly into the web holder notch and be reformed to the fullest extent of the yarn contained therein against the spring pressure of the needle shank. At .the same time by drawing the sinker wale loops tightly into the webholder hooks the hooks are rendered effective to hold these loops from rising with the needle and the previously formed loops held by the contact of the webholder hooks with the fabric are carried beyond the back line of the needles.

The cam 6 is brought into active operation to flex the needles outwardly only during the upward movement of the needles in a knitting wave to receive new yarn. \Vhen the needles are raised more than the usual amount to inactive position the recess 1 in the needle is brought into alignment with the pin 5 so that these needles are not affected by the cam 6'.

Inasmuch as the pins 5 come in contact with the needle shanks at a point some distant below the knock-over level a yield is introduced into the relative movement of needle and web holder by virtue of the. spring qualities of the needle shank. Furthermore, since a small movement of the pins 5 will cause a relatively large'movementof the upper end of the needle it is possible with a rela-' tively light angle cam 6 to secure a very rapid relative -movement of the web holder and needle to draw loops previously formed beyond the back line of the needles as the needles are advanced to take new yarn.

The machine is adjusted to produce the length of loop desired before starting the machine by raising or lowering the needle cylinder in the usual manner to cause the needles to draw their loops the required distance below the knock-over level. A corresponding adjustment of the cam 6 to flex the needles in proportion to the length of loop drawn is secured by the shift of the point of contact of the pins 5 with the periphery of the cam 6 mounted on the stationary cylinder 7 as the needle cylinder is raised or lowered. Provision is made for a further adjustment of the flexing movement of the needles if necessary by raising or lowering the cylinder 7. However, the yield thus provided due to the spring permit the use of tender yarns without making the very close adjustments necessary in present day commercial machines.

The mode of operation of the needles and web holders incombination as above described embodied in a circular knitting machine is as follows: a

The needles are advanced and retracted by their cams in the usual way. In the drawings the low or knock-over position of the needle is illustrated in full lines. The highest position of the needle illustrated in dotted lines at 10 is that in which idle needles are placed when thrown out.v The intermediate position illustrated in dotted lines at 11 is that to which the needles are ordinarily raised to clear the latches of the previously knit row of. loops and to receive new yarn. A series of dotted positions for the needle clearly i1- lustrates the effect of the cam 6 in flexing the needles outwardly as they start to rise so that .the loops are drawn into the web holder notches during the upward stroke of the needles and reformed against the spring pressure of the needle shanks to the fullest extent of the yarn contained therein. For this pur-- pose, the cam 6 is moved in time relation to the needle actuating cams forming the knitting wave. When the needles reach their normal high position they are permitted to swing inwardly again to the position shown at 11 so that the new yarn may be fed to the needles at the intermediate or yarn taking level without interference by the web holder "hooks. The needles may then be retractedto the. low position drawing new loops through the old loops which act as the needles descend to close the latches and then slide off the ends of the needles.

It will be seen that when needles are raised to the inactive position 10 the slot 1 in the needle shankwill coincide with the pin 5 so that the cam 6 wilFbe rendered inoperative to flex these needles. i I

Althoughthe invention has been described and illustated as embodied in a circular knitting machine, obviously itmay be used to advantage in other types of knitting machines and especially in flat bed machines of the Lamb type. i The nature and scope of the invention having been indicated and one embodiment thereof described, what is claimed is:

1. In a knitting machine, the combination of'aseries of needles, a seriesof stationary web holders, means for flexing the needles away from the web holders during the upward thrust of theneedles to reform the needlewale loops against the spring pressure of the needle shanks, and means for rendering the flexing means inoperative when the needle is in its inactive position.

2. In a knitting machine, the combination of a series of needles, a needle bed in which the needles are carried, a corresponding series of statlonary web holders, a series of pins adapted to engage the needle shanks, and a cam adjustable in accordance with the size loop to be drawn for actuating the pins to flex the needles away from the web holders to reform the-loops against the spring pressure of the shanks.

3. In a circular knitting machine, the combination of a needle cylinder, a series of needles slidably mounted thereon, a corresponding series of stationary web holders mounted on the cylinder, hooks formed thereon, a series of PlIlS mounted in the cylinder and adapted to engage the needle shanks, a tube mounted within the needle cylinder, a cam mounted on the tube adjustable in accordance with the size of loop to be drawn for actuating the pins to flex the needles away from the web holders to reform the loops under a yielding spring pressure againstthe webholder hooks.

4. In a circular knitting machine, the combination of a needle cylinder, a series of needles slidably mounted on the outer 'periphery thereof, a corresponding series of stationthe needles outwal dly to hold the loops yieldingly extendedagainst thewebholder hooks.

8. In a-circular knittin machine the combination. of a needle cy der, a series of needles slidably mounted thereon, a corre-. sponding series of stationary webholders for knocking overloo s held on the hooks of the retracting nee les hooks formed on the webholders, and means rendered active upon raising the needles to flex the needles outwardly to reform the loops under the yielding spring pressure of the needle shanks against the webholder hooks.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

MAX 0. MILLER.

ary web holders mounted on the cylinders, m

hooks formed thereon, a series of pins slida-bly mounted in the cylinder and adapted to engage the needle shanks, a tube mounted within the needle cylinder, a cam mounted on the tube adjustable in accordance with the size of loop to be drawn for actuating the web holders to reform the loops under a yieldin spring pressure against the webholder hooks; e

5. In a knitting machine the combination 'pins to flex the needles outwardly from the of a series of needles, a needle bed in which the needles are carried, a corresponding series of stationary webholders for knocking over loops held on the hooks of the retracted needles, hooks formed on the web holders, and means adapted to enga e and flex the needle shanks outwardly during the advancing movement of the needles to reform the loops on the webholder hooks against the spring pressure of the needle shanks,

6. In a knitting machinethe combination of a series of needles, a needle bed in which. the needles are carried, a corresponding series of stationary webholders for knocking over the loops held on the hooks of the retracted needles, hooks formed on the webholders, a series of pins adapted to engage and flex the needle shanks outwardly to reformthe 100 s by the spring ressure of the needle sh against the we holder hooks, and a cam for actuating the pins. I

7. In a knitting machine the combination of a series of needles, aneedle hed in which i the needles are carried, 'a-series of stationary webholders for knocking over loops held on the hooks of the retracted needles, hooks.

formed on the webholders, and means ren- 

